Can you get a ticket for driving too slow in NC? Here’s what state law says
North Carolina Department of Transportation data recently indicated that extreme speeding has increased dramatically contributing to nearly 25% of all fatal crashes in 2021.
While speeding remains a major issue in many other major cities, some states have recently passed laws that penalize people who drive too slow.
A recent South Carolina law that went into effect in August gave patrol officers the authority to issue $25 citations to drivers in the far left lane who are not trying to pass another vehicle.
Other states, including Indiana and Georgia, have passed similar laws preventing slow drivers from holding up traffic in the left lane, according to autoinsurance.org, a website that details insurance coverage and regulations.
Here is what North Carolina law says about driving under the speed limit and whether it is illegal to do so.
What NC laws say about driving too slow in traffic
Driving slower than the posted speed limit is not illegal, UNC school of government professor Jeff Welty explained.
“Driving substantially under the posted speed limit is not itself unlawful,” he said. “In fact, it is sometimes required by G.S. 20-141(a), which states that “[n]o person shall drive a vehicle on a highway or in a public vehicular area at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions.”
However, state law says “no person shall operate a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for operation.”
Slow driving can also be a sign that a driver is impaired, said Welty.
A 1989 court case, State v. Jones, involved a motorist who was stopped by a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper after being observed traveling 45 mph on I-95 “at a speed substantially slower than other vehicles” normally travel.
A judge ruled that although the motorist did not commit a traffic violation, “his driving 20 miles per hour below the speed limit and weaving within his lane” were enough to raise a reasonable suspicion of a possibly impaired driver.
Speeding around a slow driver could get you in trouble
Although getting stuck behind a slow driver can be frustrating, it is illegal to speed to get around them in North Carolina.
North Carolina follows absolute speed limits, meaning any person driving at a speed above the posted speed limit is in violation of the law and could be charged with a misdemeanor.
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 11:43 AM.
